Im looking at getting a ches bay puppy for duck hunting. Does anyone have any opinions about theses dogs. Ive always planned on getting a lab but this puppy has come available and I dont think I can turn it down. Thanks for yalls help.

Best advice you can get it






GET A LAB

I love, love, LOVE chessies. Never had a bad one and I have 4 in the kennel now for training.

The biggest worry is the hips. Do any of the parents have clearances on the hips, elbows, eyes? If they don't free is not a good thing....

Angie

When someone say's they can't "pass it up" it's because the dog is usually free or close to free...

An assumption on my part,,,, but if it is... Free = huge headaches...

Make sure all the clearances are there... I don't care how good the parents hunt....

Angie

chesapeale's also will get rashes in the summer time. Their basically good for the northern temps. I had to take mine and have him scalped several times during the summer. The one I bought will chew and destroy everything in my back yard! Maybe he was just retarted. My brother-in-law taught his retreiver to get birds. He taught them the wistle and hand signels. I let him work with my chesapeake male. I let my Staffordshire Terrier female (Pit Bull) She learned faster and still is a better retreiver than my chesapeake male.

Cough*BULLSHIT*Cough... Let that pit hang out with your kid

chessies get a bad rap, cool dogs, just different then a lab

They're very cool!! They have a great sense of humor. The ones in the kennel make me laugh all the time with their antics. They're not hard to train. I've had labs that were harder. The point is to get a well bred, healthy dog. Then it doesn't matter what breed your training. You'll be ahead of the power curve.

Angie

I have hunter and raised CBR's my whole life and love them. You will find no better gun dog. They are very personal and bond very well. Find a good breeder and get a good start, nothing like starting with sub-par material.

As for the Lab only guys, get a life, I have had several labs and as with all gun dogs, labs are also good gun dogs but not the ONLY GOOD DOGS. I am sure that those that speak down about a CBR have never owned or hunted with one.

TXPH, what is the maintenance on the coat like with CBR's? shed a lot? easy to maintain?

I would assume that they shed like any other double coated breed.. Plenty. It's the smell that's going to kill ya.. The oil in their coat gives off an odor that will take some getting used to.

Angie

Angie is right, the shedding is normal to any, the heavy oils that have a sour smell are bad, but during season do not give them a bath, any retriever that is a working dog for that matter, you wash out the natural oils that help to shed water and protect the skin. During the off season you can manage it very well with basic bathing!

I have had several labs and now after having my first Chessie, I don't know if I will have another lab. Don't get me wrong labs are good and I have had some excellent retrievers but, these Chessies are tougher when it comes to the raw elements of cold and hunting.

CBR's are not for everyone. For me there is nothing else that compares. Mine has made me very proud time and time again.

I got a great CBR from the rescue program last year. He was said to have been hunt trained and ready to hunt. He loves to retrieve. The problem is that it appears that he was abused by a woman.

I got him about a year ago and he was deathly afraid of women and small framed men. Large men and black women of any size did not bother him, but white women would get growled at. He also did not like sticks and was gun shy.

So, here goes what I can tell about puppy psychology. He was 1.5 years old when I got him. I think that the family that had him had a hunter for a Daddy and Mom was a socialite. I think that Chase probably showed some other soccer mom some ivory(as Chessies are prone to do) and he was beaten by Mom with a broom handle. Then, I am thinking that his first real hunt probably resulted in him being a little unruly about the duck and he got beaten by Dad. I do know that they supposedly "abandoned" him to the backyard, something that should not be done with a Chessy.

Now, he has taken a year to "get well." But, he is a great dog. He loves to retrieve. He loves my family and is very protective. However, the Terminex guys are free to move about the yard and he even plays with them. The ladies at the vet clinic are now his friends. Overall, he is much calmer and more centered. He sleeps in my 6yo son's room and they are the best of friends. He spends his days with a really ignorant yellow lab that flunked out of any training that Jerry Travis put her in(poor girl is just too dumb for words, but real sweet) and a very smart Brittany. They love each other and he is one happy camper. I am gradually exposing him to noise and guns and hope that one day he will be whole again to do his intended job.

I may be off base in my analysis of his past, but I just know what his responses were to certain stimuli and I am pretty firm in my belief. I guess it really doesn't matter except to explain some don'ts to you.

Do NOT treat your Chessy like a Lab. They have a more gruff exterior, but they are very much more sensitive and mature more slowly. They very much want to be a part of your family, so be ready to deal with them so that they can.

Do NOT plan on using a shock collar. This will shut them down. You will not have to if you have earned their trust and respect.

Do NOT push them in their training like you would a Lab. Because they are maturing more slowly and because they are extremely bright, you have to read them a lot more and sense when they are getting bored. They love to retrieve, but the same runs mulitple times will turn them off like cussing in a deacons meeting.

NEVER use physical violence on them. They will remember it and have the problems I have been dealing with. They may get aggressive and/or they may cower.

ALWAYS respect your Chessy. He is the ultimate professional when it comes to his job. He knows what he is doing. Do you know what you are asking him to do?

If you are not up to conforming to the Chessy as much as he is conforming to you, do NOT get one. You really need to read up on the Chessy. I love them very much, but they are not for everyone.

If you do decide to follow through, I wish you the best. Make sure the dog is properly socialized and that they are with you as much as possible. The next one I get, I want to get as a pup from a really great line. I then want to carry them virtually everywhere with me and acquaint them with my routine. I think that way, some of the socialization problems will be minimized.

Good luck!